Stabilisation of maternal and child health care in the Afar region
Situation:
The Afar region of Ethiopia is one of the poorest served regions in the country. It suffers from weak health structures, high malnutrition, frequent disease outbreaks and extremely high neonatal mortality (125 per 1,000 live births). Conflicts in the neighbouring region of Tigray have also led to a high number of internally displaced persons. In remote and poorly connected areas, public health systems are currently unable to provide comprehensive care.
Objectives:
The project aims to improve health care, especially for children and women, with a focus on maternal and child health, sexual and reproductive health, epidemic prevention and nutrition in remote areas in the Afar region.
- Number of prenatal check-ups performed
- Number of births with qualified and institutionalised care
- Number of acute malnutrition cases treated
- Vaccination rate among children under 5 years of age
- Improving services in the areas of sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence: Providing medication and equipment, prenatal care, obstetrics, family planning, treatment of GBV survivors, strengthening the referral system
- Strengthening the screening and treatment of acute malnutrition: Early detection in children and women, management of severe cases
- Improving epidemic prevention and control: Expansion of vaccination services, infection prevention, regular monitoring reports
The project relies on cooperation with regional health authorities and only supports existing state health centres. This avoids parallel structures and strengthens the capacities of the local systems. The training of personnel and the integration of measures into existing processes ensure long-term effects.
The high vulnerability of the target group, which consists of internally displaced persons and communities in remote areas, requires a sensitive and adaptable approach. Mothers and their children cannot always be cared for over a longer period of time and the teams have to build trust with new patients. Climatic challenges such as droughts also severes the general conditions, especially on the prevalence of malnourished children and pregnant or breastfeeding women.
